Iowa reservist remains optimistic about changes in Iraq

An Army Reservist from Iowa who’s now stationed in Iraq says the situation there is frightening, but he remains optimistic about the U.S. mission there — to spread freedom. Captain Charles Anthony of Des Moines is with the 350th Civil Affairs Brigade, working as a liaison between contractors and Iraqis to build new hospitals, schools, bridges, water and sewer systems and more. In a satellite-phone interview with Radio Iowa from Baghdad, Captain Anthony says “I’ve gotten to meet the Iraqi people and I’ve gotten to talk to a lot of them and gotten positive feedback on what we’re doing down here from the average Iraqi.” He says “Most of them just basically want to live their lives normally. They want to be able to go to school and they want to be able to have food on their plates — just the basic needs. Understanding that we’re a part of that, in helping them get to the point where they can sustain themselves is a good feeling for me.” Anthony says any Americans in Iraq who claim they’re not afraid — are probably lying. “It’s no doubt it’s a dangerous place. We hear shots, we hear explosions on a daily basis. Whenever we go out we try to take the appropriate precautions and minimize the risk but you can’t guarantee that.” He says his biggest fear is that he or someone in his unit will be wounded. He counters fears with rewards like being swarmed by cheering Iraqi children, reminding him of his own kids back in Iowa. He says “It’s a good feeling when you get the opportunity to go into a town and you see the kids there and they run up to you and have an opportunity to talk and appreciate what you do, that part of the mission I think is rewarding.” Anthony and his wife have two children, ages five and eight. He’s one-month into his year-long deployment and he’s optimistic about the task at hand. Anthony, who’s in his 16th year as an Army Reservist, says “Things will improve down here once we turn over the infrastructure and the government back over to the Iraqis. At that point, people will truly understand that our mission here was to truly help liberate the country and allow them to live their lives freely.”